Leaders Church Boys United (CBU) opened a four-point lead atop the standings after a solitary goal from Milan Rai sealed 1-0 victory over Nepal Police Club in the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar on Friday.

Rai netted the all-important goal in the fading moments of the first half stoppage time as the newboys recovered from their 1-0 defeat against Tribhuvan Army Club, who had snapped their four-match winning run, in their last outings.

The outcome confirmed that CBU will head into the 20th round with a four-point cushion over second-placed Jawalakhel Youth Club on 36 points. They have won 10, drawn six and lost three games. Once upon a time giants Police, struggling to avoid relegation, are just one point ahead of relegation zone in the 12th place with 22 points.

Rai, left unmarked inside the area, turned in a corner of Kamal Shrestha to score the decisive goal in the fourth minute of the first half stoppage time.

Earlier at the same venue, bottom of the table FC Khumaltar rallied from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw against Tribhuvan Army FC.

Army went ahead in the 14th minute courtesy of an unforgivable mistake by goalie Aashis Muktan who fumbled an easy simple freekick by Jagjeet Shrestha. Messouke Oloumou restored parity for Khumaltar in the 35th after the unmarked Cameroonian found the ball parried by goalie Bikesh Kuthu, who was challenged by Stephane Binong in his bid to clear a cross by Rajiv Lopchan.

Nawayug Shrestha restored the one-goal cushion for Army six minutes into the second half after he applied a low strike from a tight angle to convert a brilliant pass by Dinesh Henjan. But Cameroonian forward Binong hit back the equaliser in the 75th unleashing home a scorcher at the far post from the area to stun Army goalie Kuthu.

Army are tied on 26 points with fourth-placed Satdobato and fifth-placed Three Star, but are sixth in the standings due to head to head records. Both Three Star and Satdobato have a match advantage over them. Khumaltar, struggling to avoid relegation, are languishing at rock bottom on 18 points from 19 games.

At the ANFA Complex, Himalayan Sherpa Club took a giant stride at the points table with a hard fought 3-2 victory over APF FC.

Winger Khamir Ghilsan Kandangwa and Piston Vunyoli Mutamba struck early goals as Sherpa went into the break with a 2-0 lead and Abayomi Oluwaseun netted third six minutes into the restart. The departmental side staged a late fight back with Sanish Shrestha and Yubraaj Khadka hitting the targets, but they ran out of time.

The sixth of the league campaign lifted Sherpa four spots up to seventh on 25 points from 19 matches. The departmental sides are 10th in the 14 teams standing, but just one point ahead of the drop zone on 22 points from equal games.

Kandangwa gave lead to APF in the 10th minute before Kenyan Mutamba doubled the lead in the 28th and Sherpa were 3-0 up in the 51st through Nigerian recruit Oluwaseun. APF cut the deficit three minutes from time through Shrestha and Khadka narrowed the gap in the second minute of the seven-minute stoppage time before referee Nabindra Maharjan blew the final whistle.